You’re not alone—textured plaster and old drywall can make even the best tape look bad. I’ve run into this a ton, especially in houses from the mid-century era. Honestly, even with all the right prep, you’ll still get some bleed here and there. Pressing tape with a putty knife helps a bit, but if the wall’s uneven, paint finds a way.
The caulk trick is solid for crisp lines, but yeah, it’s tedious. I always wipe away excess right after applying—just run a damp finger or rag along the edge so you’re not left with a ridge. If you let it dry, it can get gummy and pull up when you remove the tape.
As for the hair dryer thing... in my experience, it helps tape stick a little better on cold days or dusty surfaces, but it won’t magically fix rough walls. Might be worth a shot if your tape’s not sticking at all, but I wouldn’t expect miracles.
Don’t be too hard on yourself—sometimes all you can do is touch up after pulling the tape. Even pros end up with a small brush in hand fixing those tricky corners.
Don’t be too hard on yourself—sometimes all you can do is touch up after pulling the tape. Even pros end up with a small brush in hand fixing those tricky corners.
I hear you on that. Honestly, I’ve yet to see a window trim job where I didn’t have to do at least a little touch-up, especially on textured plaster. The caulk trick works, but like you said, it’s slow and can get messy if you’re not careful. Anyone tried using painter’s tape with that “edge lock” stuff? I’ve found it’s hit or miss—sometimes it helps, other times it just lifts off if the wall isn’t perfectly clean. At the end of the day, a steady hand and a bit of patience go a long way... but yeah, old walls are always gonna fight back.
Edge lock tape is a bit of a gamble, honestly. I’ve had it work well on newer drywall, but with anything older or textured, like you mentioned, it doesn’t always stick down tight enough. Sometimes I’ll even get paint bleeding under the tape, which kind of defeats the purpose. I’ve found that pressing the tape down with a putty knife helps a little, but if there’s any dust or unevenness, it can still lift.
On really rough plaster, I usually skip tape altogether and just use a sash brush for cutting in. It takes more time, but I get cleaner lines that way—plus, there’s less risk of peeling off chunks of old paint when you remove the tape. The caulk trick is nice for getting razor-sharp lines if you’re patient, but yeah, it can get messy fast if you’re not careful.
Old houses just have their own set of rules... sometimes you have to pick your battles and accept a little imperfection here and there.